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Social and Behavioral Sciences

BA in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Career Options

SBS graduates enjoy success in a wide range of professional positions...

While most social and behavioral sciences (SBS) graduates go directly into employment, many have also successfully pursued graduate studies in social work, occupational therapy, counseling, teaching, law, and public policy and management. SBS graduates are working in a wide range of professional positions such as:

The Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) degree program integrates perspectives from psychology, sociology, and anthropology as it prepares students for careers in social services, mental health, law and public policy, early childhood care, and education.

Designed to enhance students' understanding of the psychosocial and cultural influences shaping individual lives and social institutions, the curriculum interweaves interdisciplinary courses in liberal arts with foundational SBS courses. A variety of courses provide more specific professional applications and foster engagement in civic life and ethical citizenship. Students expand upon this knowledge through choices made from an extensive array of elective courses.

Students may use two courses from outside the major as electives with faculty approval. No more than two courses from outside the major may be used as elective courses without permission of the faculty.

The SBS degree offers students the option of either individualized selection of electives for the major or choosing from three predesigned pathways of specialization: a Concentration in Counseling; a Concentration or Minor in Early Childhood Studies; or a Concentration or Minor in Public Health. Students may also choose to integrate the SBS major with related minors or certificates in fields such as Leadership and Organizational Studies; a Certificate in Public Health or Gerontology; or a certification as an Early Childhood Teacher or Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician /Community (MHRT/C). The SBS major also provides a jumpstart (accelerated) option for application to the Master of Occupational Therapy or Master of Leadership Studies program.

As of Spring 2015, the general SBS degree is available fully online. The concentrations are not available fully online, however a subset of courses from each concentration is offered in online format. For more information contact Admissions at enrollusm@maine.edu or visit the Office of Undergraduate Admission for application information.

Program Requirements

A critical component of this degree program is the internship (LAC 447). Students select their internship with the assistance of the faculty advisor and the Internship Coordinator. Students identify an organization that will enable them to evaluate potential career opportunities and develop workplace skills. Prior to the internship, students participate in a sequence of two 1.5-credit hour seminars where they learn aspects of career decision making and launching a successful career.

SBS Prerequisite Courses (12 credits) expected to be taken before 300-level courses

Before taking 300-level courses in this major, students must have completed a 100-level college writing course with a grade of at least C.

Requirements for the SBS Major (28 credits)

Credits

LCC 150 Statistics for Informed Decision Making

3

SBS/HRD 200 Multicultural Human Development

3

SBS 300 Deviance and Social Control

3

or SBS 310 Childhood and Society (teacher preparation and Early Childhood Studies)

SBS 329 Research Methods

3

LAC 269 Exploring Careers, Choosing Life Roles

1.5

LCC 370 Toward a Global Ethics (writing instruction)

4

LAC 413 Job Search Skills for the 21st Century

1.5

SBS 430 Applied Social Policy

3

LAC 447 Internship

3

LCC 480 Senior Seminar (writing Instruction)

3

SBS Electives (18 credits)

Students will complete at least six electives in SBS. They may structure their choice of these electives by picking a Concentration (Counseling, Early Childhood Studies, or Public Health) or may instead more fully customize the choice of electives for the general degree. For the SBS degree without a concentration, students must select a minimum of two courses from the list of Fundamentals, below. The remainder may be drawn from any 300-level or above SBS electives listed in the following pages.

1For the SBS major, students are strongly encouraged to take LCC 200 Creative Critical Thinking to fulfill the CI requirement (or alternatively, to take a Critical Thinking course as a general elective), and LCC 220 U.S. Democracy: Origins and Development, or 320 Sustaining Democracy, to meet the SCA requirement (or alternatively,a Government or Civics course).

2 Requirement may be met with any Thematic Cluster, with any USM minor or double major, or with any three courses 200-level or above outside of the major.

* Descriptions of LCC and LAC classes may be found in the introductory portion of the Lewiston-Auburn College section of this catalog.

General Electives (33 Credits)

Additional courses towards completing a total of 120 credits for the degree may be drawn from any variety of other courses within or outside of the major, chosen depending on student interests, career plans, and prior transfer credits. In some cases, this may entail pursuit of a minor. Students should consult with their advisors on these choices.